


High Time

by Megane



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Distorted Reality, Exciting Criminal Activity, Masked Criminals, Nonbinary Character, Speculative Writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-11 11:19:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3325562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megane/pseuds/Megane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This heist would be one of their greatest, but despite it all, it was the same as any other. Or so The Phantom thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	High Time

**Author's Note:**

> This demanded to be written, and I couldn't ignore the call! Written on the mobile again -- two days of editing. And then edited again at the community center. Hope you guys enjoy.

Anzu brought her hand up to her mouth, smiling as the plan slowly came together. Ryuji grinned and punched a hand into his open palm. Their new targets were going to be at a gala event. No one who was particularly well known to the public, mind you. No. You had to be in the right circles to get to know _this_ lot.  Morgana pushed a book onto the before climbing up quickly. The talkative cat leaned onto the table, trying to balance its weight appropriately. Morgana went over the plans again, this time adding the details xe had discovered. Xe placed a paw upon the map, sliding it out of the way before looking to xer companions.

          "Understand? When the clock hits 11:50, I cut the lights; we dip in a little; and we get out when the clock strikes twelve!" Morgana's lips twitched in delight when the others nodded. "But remember: leave the most important guests alone this time. They'll be our bigger fish much later."

          Ryuji sat up then, dropping his hands onto his knees. "Let's plant some evidence! Make sure we cover our tracks."

          "Of course," echoed Morgana and Anzu. 

Anzu pushed away from the bar and steadily made her way over. She placed her hand on the back of the couch, smirking before looking down to their Leader.

          "This'll be a change of pace for you - actually _trying_ to make friends," she teased. She reached a hand down to grip a covered shoulder. "Sure you don't want me to do it instead?"

There was a contemplative silence before slender fingers reached up and flipped through the long blond locks.

          "You've too much hair. So you can't wear a wig. Remember last time we did something like this? "

Anzu nodded with a shrug of her shoulder. She turned around and lifted herself up. She sat down on the top of the couch and clutched her hands for support. As she rocked back, the brunet leaned over and examined the coded list Morgana had laid out.

          "Call Kuchiki," they stated, leaning back in the couch again. "She'll look out for us, and I'll be ready by the time we leave."

          Ryuji snatched one of the phones from the table, jumping up from his seat. "Got it."

The curly haired brunet laced their fingers together and rested their chin on the linked digits. Ryuji's excited voice bubbled in the background. Anzu crossed her ankles over the top of the couch. She overlapped her hands over her stomach, focusing her attention on the feline busying about on the table. The two talked together, wickled (playfully) running over the guest list. Their voices, including Ryujis's melted into a sharp ringing noise. It was distant at first before quickly turning into a high pitched nightmare. The brunet closed their eyes, brows knotting together tightly. They heard the call of their name and opened their eyes suddenly. The floor beneath their feet was blue-grey. Shadows of bars striped the ground. Another call of their name caused them to blink -

And the room was back to normal.

The far sighted thief blinked and sat back suddenly before looking over to their friends. Anzu and Morgana stared at them quizzically. Ryuji pressed the phone against his neck, tipping his head in their direction. The brunet waved their hand dismissively. The blond gave his leader a surveying look and then returned to his phone call, smile returning almost instantly. Anzu unwrapped a stick of gum for herself, setting it on her lap before offering to the other thief. As the brunet took the offered item, Anzu livened up as she described her ideal setting for a heist.

As they listened, the bespectacled thief could have sworn they heard the faint chink of chains.

 

 

          "You were pretty sweet on Kuchiki, weren't you~?"

          "C'mon, _Saori._ " A chuckle. "You know Kuchiki's my girl."

          "Look. Look. Isn't he lucky?" came a whispered voice.

           A whistle. "One on each arm, huh?"

Heels clicked on the ground. A blond male arrived with two lovely someones draped on his arms. A blonde and a brunet cupped the sticks of their masks, holding it in front of their faces. Upon arriving at the guest check, the attendant scanned a gloved finger over the list and lit up. She reached up her hands and pressed her hands against the masks. The sticks loosened from their parent mask, and the well dressed guests handed the unnecessary items over. 

          "Enjoy the gala," she greeted, voice warm, welcoming, and smooth.

          The blonde straightened her posture, squeezing onto the taller male's arm. "We will~"

The two women shared a smile of dfferent types. The brunet silently squeezed the yellow haired male's arm, and Ryuji soon moved forward, forcing Anzu to follow.

          "What was that about?" Ryuji finally inquired when they were inside.

          Anzu smiled a bit and pressed her weight against him, flipping out her left hand. "It's a woman thing. I would't expect you to get it."

          Ryuji blinked and then looked down to the brunet. "You know what she's on about?"

The brunet's attention was elsewhere. They quietly surveyed the area; contact covered eyes flicked around to the different guests. Only a few of them were superficially interesting. Their eyes lifted higher, watching a couple of guests climb the stairs. Eh, socialising. Up on the balcony, they could see a black cat reclined and watching the door. Morgana was in position. The Phantom drew their arm away, fingers brushing down the front of their dress as they headed to the buffet table. It was time for them to take their station as well. Ryuji wanted to follow, but Anzu slid her hand down his arm - giving him a sign to pay attention to his front. A stocky man tromped over with an overly made up +1 clinging to his sleeve. Ryoji resisted the urge to snort. Instead, he pasted on his smile.

          "Not one but two lovely ladies on your arm? Of course a kid like you would be a playboy. It's always the same with you rich young types." The portly man smiled - but whether it was nice or plastic was up for debate.

          " _Actually_ , Kawamori and I recently partnered together to work on a new project," Anzu recited, lips curling in a steady smile. Her gaze flitted to the woamn on the man's arm. She wrapped a hand on the inside of Ryuji's arm And squeezed gently. She placed her free hand on her cheek, sighing softly with closed eyes. "We've turned an amazing profit since."

          "Never understood young millionaires. Don't you kids like being young!"

Ryuji and Anzu laughed softly. She opened her eyes seconds after her laugh and met the man's gaze. No one asked for full introductions, but Ryuji was soon snagged into a lecture about enjoying youth while he had it. Anzu observed the lecturing man and hummed softly. She contributed with a tease on Ryoji's behalf, but she had made up her mind. Across the room, the brunet was steadily turning a glass with gloved fingers. A small group of four stood before the Phantom in a semicircle. The black haired thief reached up a hand and gently touched the bangs swept over their left eye.

A man with thin glasses perched on the brim of his nose motioned to the practically empty glass. "Care for a refill?" Grey-green eyes turned down to it. This was the perfect time to slip away. The brunet smiled and drew the glass to their chest, turning away from the offered hand. "Love your manners, but I can handle this one. Excuse me, please." Was that a bot rough? They'd debate on it later. Anzu saw the Phantom cross the room and pulled away from Ryuji. As she faced him, Anzu took a final sweeping view of the two guests in front of her. She moved her hand to Ryuji's lower back.

          "I'll get you a drink."

          Ryuji raised up a brow under his mask before smiling to Anzu. "I'll be here."

Anzu separated from her fellow blond and placed her hands in front of herself. She stole quick glances at the other guests as she passed, mentally racking up her list. She was unexpectedly stopped by a man who mistakenly recognised her. Anzu blinked away her shock and waved him away, promising, falsely, that they'd meet up later. ' _White tailcoat. Prim moustache. Kinda handsome...'_ She smiled to herself as she mentally jotted down the important details. She returned to her original path, seeing the table cloth wiggle and flutter before finally settling. The Phantom crossed their legs lazily, leaning against a wall with a filled glass.

          "Well," Anzu breathed when she was closer, taking a moment to examine the table.

          The Phantom tugged up the shrug onto their right shoulder. They brought the glass to their lips. "Current time: 11:05. The hostess is making her rounds, but the guest of honour isn't here yet." They took a deep drink, halving the glass' contents. "ETA: 20 minutes. Music'll start. Food'll be served."

Anzu nodded her head and poured two glasses. The brunet walked over and stepped past Anzu; they touched their right shoulder to her left one. The blonde reached over to grab a small vine of grapes from the serving bowl. The brunet leaned closer to Anzu's side, reaching around and placing their glass onto the table.

          "Two possible targets: blue rose, pink lipstick. Don't let them out of your sight," they whispered, pulling away.

The two separated. They met gazes, and Anzu briefly went over her findings. The two walked very slowly but fluidly over to Ryuji. The Phantom stroked their fingers over their thigh before curling their fingers. Ryuji (thankfully) excused himself and joined his companions. Morgana resumed xer place at the top of the other banister. The brunet wrapped an arm around Ryuji's, bringing their curled hand to his elbow.

          "Have fun?" He asked their Leader, keeping his voice low.

          The Phantom smirked and placed their curled hand into Ryuji's right. "I'm having a ball."

          Ryuji snorted and tucked his hand into his pocket, navigating them over to a table. "I'll let you have that one."

 

The grandfather thrummed at the half hour mark. The three thieves focused their attention on it. The hostess touched a hand to her chest, signifying the end of her speech. Applause echoed throug the gala hall. The three thieves located their targets from their sitting positions. The blow hards were easy targets. Instead of pilfering them, the thieves would leave them with passing gifts as a sign of appreciation for, ah, time well-spent. The Phantom spoke in soft tones as they and the other two sat at a rounded table. The host held up a champagne glass. The brunet trailed off and mimicked the action. Ryuji and Anzu followed, but the blond spoke secrectively, turning his body only slightly. Anzu's leg twitched as Morgana brushed against it. She jolted in surprised and dropped her glass. It didn't shatter, but it cracked. Tasteless liquid splashed onto the ground. She and the brunet leaned over, trying to clean the mess. When they sat up, Anzu curled her fingers around a small switchblade, and the Phantom handed the cracked glass to a waiter.

To Ryuji's delight, food was served, and the music struck up. 11:35. They ate in satisfied silence. The brunet caught their breath and gained their energy again. A handsome man in white came over, apologising to the blonde, and went for a charming introduction. Anzu faked a laugh and turned her body, fingers tracing over her collarbone. She stared at the clock. 11:41.

          "Better get ready," she muttered, once the moustachioed man departed. "It's almost showtime."

The three separated from their table at 11:47. The Leader headed towards the bathroom, only to be politely and helpfully directed to the upstairs. Anzu crossed the room to the buffet table, gathering visual intelligence about where possible targets were. Some of them had taken to standing and chatting. That would make things easier. Ryuji went to bother the waiters. They stayed until 11:50 - then darkness fell. Anzu flipped the knife out expertly and turned around, starting her mission. She reached into her hair and pulled out a flashlight. Across the room, a light flicked on. A cheeky laugh echoed in the silence.

Upstairs, the brunet blinked slowly, adjusting the contacts in their eyes. The Phantom removed their mask and stared at their reflection. The angle of the flashlight wasn't great, but eh - good enough. Morgana curled xer tail as they offered up the Phantom's cape, neat and folded. The brunet took the item and rubbed their thumb over it. They chuckled.

          "Now I'm feeling more like myself," they muttered, cape unfurling down their back. Heels clicked as they turned around swiftly.

          Morgana jumped down from the counter and followed after the brunet. "Let's leave 'im high and dry."

The Phantom grinned and pushed open the bathroom door. The darkness welcomed them. The brunet ran their fingers through their hair before dipping into their dress, pulling the small flashlight from its place. They walked to the banister and carefully climbed up. The Phantom rocked up onto the tips of their toes before regaining their balance. Morgana placed a hand on the brunet's thigh, staring down at the twin lights below. The brunet flicked their wrist left and right and scanned over the frozen guests whenever a light passed over. "Now, isn't that something...?" They turned their head down and called down the orders to Ryoiji and Anzu.

     "Finish the j-"

The clock struck suddenly, cutting off the brunet mid speech. Ryuji turned his flashlight to the grandfather clock. 11:57. Premature, surely. The blonds did as they were almost told, taking and exchanging as they pleased. Ryoji bowed to the frozen chatty fatman and then plucked the necklace from the accompanying woman's neck. He turned away and passed Anzu, handing the item over to her. She jogged to her next guest, ran her fingers under the chin of an especially charming gentleman, and then tucked a necklace into his trouser pocket.

"Now," came the quiet order, and Morgana leapt down, bag clenched dutifully. The brunet was about to join when the lights flicked back on. The Phantom was ready to call the emergency order when a couple of the guests began to change. Ryuji and Anzu extended out their hands, letting their items blindly fall into Morgana's awaiting bag. All the while, they kept on alert, watching as a violent swirl of red and black wrapped around the twitching bodies. The Phantom watched from above.

The swirls exploded and revealed magnificent knights in red and gold. The twin knights let out a mighty roar, armoured fingers curled around their giant weapons. The Phantom reached down and pulled a spare switchblade from the slit of their dress. with a flick of their wrist, they extended the blade and jumped down. The ground rippled as they landed. Their cape fluttered in slow motion.

          "We're leaving through the windows. Plan B in action," the Phantom directed, slicing open the other side of their dress.

Anzu reached a thumb down between her cleavage, loosening her bra before pulling out a canister. Ryuji flicked out his left arm, and a canister rolled out of his sleeve. The two blonds depressed the buttons and launched their smoke charges. The quartet prepared for their escape, jumping into the air just as a large weapon swept through the smoke and cleared it thru the middle. The Phantom's eyes widened slowly, and they barely reacted in time to cross their cape in front of their body.

The group landed with a tumble on the outside. Everything - the sky, the roads, the buildings - was basked in a green glow. Ryuji furrowed his brows and looked around.

         "Dude, what's going on here...?"

         "I dunno, but let's get outta here," Anzu cut in before looking to the brunet. "Right?"

The Phantom snapped out of their reverie and looked to their teammates. The two blonds caught the eerie smile on their face. They all cast a final glimpse to the broken window. There were heavy footsteps, but nothing came into view. The Phantom let ot a huff of laughter and directed their team away.

 

 

Once they arrived back at their hideout, Anzu kicked off her shoes and threw her arms up into the air. She let out an excited whoop, and Ryuji followed suit. The brunet quietly headed to the usual booth, heels hooked on two fingers. They carefully padded around barefoot. 

The others talked excited about the mission, muttering about who they wished wished they could have robbed and so on. Anne carefully undid her hair from its braided bun, sighing when it finally cascaded down behind her. The brunet closed their eyes, listening as the others discussed the sudden appearance of those creatures. Another smile curled their lips, and before they knew it, Ryuji was talking to them.

          "What d'you think, Chief?"

The Phantom chuckled and reached a hand to their face, humming softly soon after.

          "I think," they began, sitting up now, "that things are _finally_ getting interesting." They paused for a moment before tipping their head to one side. "Are you guys ready for that?"

The three looked to each other sharing brief glances before smirking. They all focused on the brunet again and responded with a confident,

          "Of course!"

The brunet smiled and closed their eyes, stretching their arms out and reclining on the booth once more. The other voices melted again as the brunet started to drift off.

          "Aah, you're back. Hope you'll stay longer this time."

This time, when the Phantom opened their eyes, they didn't like where they woke up.


End file.
